Dana Grant
Sport: Figure Skating
Year Inducted: 2004
At the tender age of three, when most children at that age are doing “kid” things, Dana Grant took his first steps on to the ice surface. He never looked back.
Neither he nor his parents knew it at the time, but it was the start of a dazzling figure skating career which would catapult him on to the national stage.
Through endless hours of hard work combined with determination and skill, Dana would become one of the country’s top teen-age dance skaters.
The foundation for his brilliant career was laid on the ice surfaces of the Si Miller Arena and Ed Lumley Arena as a member of the Cornwall Figure Skating Club.
The first recognition of his talent came in 1985 when he was named the Cornwall club’s Most Improved Advance Beginner.
He won the Most Improved Skater in each of the following two seasons. The improvement continued unabated.
Dana quickly became one of Eastern Ontario’s premier young male skaters but it was in the dance competition where he blossomed.
In 1996, he teamed with Marjolaine Mineau of Chambly, Que. It was a perfect match.
After several outstanding medal-winning performances at competitions in Quebec and Ontario, they won a silver medal in the Junior Dance division at the sectional competition in Vaudreuil, Que.
This was followed by a silver medal in the Junior Dance event at the Eastern Ontario divisionals.
At the Canadian Championships in Vancouver in February 1997 the exciting duo placed fourth. It was the first time a Cornwall skating athlete had competed in the National Championships.
In January 1999, Dana and Marjolaine were back at the Nationals, this time in the highly competitive Senior Dance division. They finished seventh in a tough field of the country’s top skaters and Olympic hopefuls.
The highlight of Dana’s successful career came in October 1999 when he and his partner competed in the Senior Dance competition in Helsinki, Finland where they had a fifth place finish.
Dana continues to be involved in figure skating, giving back to the sport he loves. He has been coaching young skaters with the Cornwall and Long Sault Figure Skating clubs.